1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cooking apparatus and in particular to ventilation means for use with cooking apparatus, such as a microwave oven.
2. Description of the Background Art
In one conventional form of microwave oven, the oven is installed in overlying relationship to an oven range unit so as to be substantially at eye level. A problem arises in such appliances in that hot, contaminated air from the underlying oven and surface units may damage the microwave oven electrical components.
A number of different attempts have been made to solve this vexatious problem. Illustratively, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,131,688, of Norman J. Lipstein, a blower is provided in series with filter means for delivering filtered air to the overlying oven means.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,162,825, of William Byer Chase et al., air flow means are provided for drawing air from rearwardly of the oven and delivering it through the windowed door of the oven to cool the door during operation of the oven.
Richard J. Anetsberger et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 3,707,145, similarly show an oven having means for drawing air in from the rear thereof and conducting it through a bottom wall space and through sidewall spaces to direct the cooling air upwardly over the front door means and the control means.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,818,171, Matthew S. Miller et al. disclose an eye-level microwave oven disposed above a subjacent cooking surface, wherein a ventilation duct extends from either the bottom or the back of the microwave oven to a bottom chamber of the apparatus. The air in the control space of the microwave oven is at below atmospheric pressure as it communicates with the inlet to the blower delivering the air to the oven cavity.
Eugene J. Barnett, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,882,843, discloses a self-cleaning wall oven having a blower at the rear of the oven for drawing air in through a perimetric gap between the front frame of the assembly and the wall cabinet along at least the opposite sides and the top of the assembly. Air is also drawn in through an intermediate passage between an upper control chamber and a lower oven capacity structure. The air is delivered by the fan at the rear of the oven assembly back into the room through opposite side passages and through the control chamber having an outlet along its front top edge.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,049 of Keith E. Carr et al., which patent is owned by the assignee hereof, a fan is disposed in a space rearwardly of the upper oven for drawing air not only around the upper oven but also through it for delivery forwardly through a passage between the upper oven and a lower oven.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,184,945, Thomas J. Morgan et al. disclose a microwave wall oven air flow system wherein fans are provided for drawing air inwardly from a front top portion of the oven adjacent a portion of the control panel. The fans operate in parallel in delivering the air to a rear chamber for subsequent delivery therefrom through a lower outlet opening.